Household appliances, such as clothes washers and dryers, may include a treating chamber in which items are placed for treating and a cover, such as a lid or door, for closing an access opening to the treating chamber. The cover can be locked in the closed position during a portion of a cycle of operation, such as during the spin phase when wash liquid is removed from laundry by spinning the treating chamber at a high speed, and is typically configured to automatically unlock after completion of the spin phase. If a user forcibly opens the cover during the spin phase, the lock may be broken.